Reloading the Same YouTube Video 1000 Times Produces this Cool Result

The “photocopy effect,” discovered by Alvin Lucier, reveals what happens when an object is repeatedly copied. Upon repeated copies, the item begins to accumulate the idiosyncrasies of the medium doing the copying. See someone perform this cool experiment.

Video Summary

This homage to Alvin Lucier shows the interesting idiosyncrasies of copy technology. “I am Sitting in a Video Room” was recorded then uploaded to YouTube. It was then downloaded from YouTube and uploaded again at a total of 1000 iterations. The photocopy effect leads to the original characteristics of the video, including his voice and image, being completely destroyed and no longer recognizable. The voice is replaced by the resonant tones of the room.